How Do I Speed Up
My Computer?
My Computer?
This relatively simple question isn't easy to answer. Nor does this problem affect only graphics users, but also pretty much anyone who has a computer with multiple software programs, music, etc. and is connected to the Internet.
Let’s look at how to improve the performance of your computer without spending your hard earned cash. Many people think that adding more RAM, a faster video card with more memory, or a hard drive or a motherboard upgrade is the best solution. That may be true, but it could be a waste of money too.
Spending money should be a last resort, not something you do first. Before you shell out any cash, let me ask you two questions:
1.) What was the last thing you did with your computer before it started to slow down?
2.) When was the last time you defragmented your hard drive? (If your system goes down, work doesn’t get done and money and time are wasted. System crashes; slow file access and even blue screens are often due to “fragmentation.” Fragmentation in your hard drive causes rapid declines in the stability of your computer. You might think your computer is “getting old” and wearing out. It just might need ‘defragging’. With defragmentation, you’ll solve problems before they occur. More about this later.
Your answers to these two questions will help determine why your computer is slowing down. If it's related to having too many programs
If you work on the Windows platform and have msconfig installed, execute that from the Run menu. (To learn what each item below is, do a “Google search” for each. That way, you'll learn what can be turned off.) In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click on the Startup tab. This shows you what programs are loaded at startup. Turning off unnecessary Startup items will speed up your computer!
CAUTION: Don't eliminate a program unless you are sure it won’t harm the normal operation of your computer. (For example, you could turn off your virus protection software and leave your computer vulnerable to virus attacks.) If you have any doubts about your choice of what to eliminate, enlist the help of a knowledgeable friend or an IT professional.
If your answer to number 2 is that you didn't defrag your hard drive, there's a relatively simple solution. “Defragging” is a software process whereby parts of data files on all segments of a computer hard disk are taken from their fragmented state (with parts of files scattered all over the disk), and grouped together in complete-file segments. This makes it quicker for applications to find the files they need and frees up disk space, making the computer run more efficiently.
Personally, I have not been satisfied with the job the Windows defragger does. Instead, I have been using a product called Diskeeper Pro. You can download a trial version at http://www.lyonware.co.uk /Diskeeper.htm . In my next column we’ll continue to explore other solutions for a ‘slow’ computer.
Nathan Segal boosts your Photoshop productivity with proven tips, tools and techniques to create better scans, images and prints, in his book, "The Photoshop Companion."
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